The Final Blow
by Violettree
Summary: The final blow in the Agni-Kai, isn't one Zuko can see. Ozai's view of the Agni-Kai, and the events that unfold afterwards for him. Set pre-series.


Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Might as well, though...

So, hi, Violettree here, this is my SECOND fanfiction, but the first one SUCKED. But this, not half bad...the idea, anyways. Italics are Ozai's memories/thoughts.

Enjoy.

Ozai sat in meditation in the Fire Nation throne room, orange flames surrounding his throne. He was lost in recent memories...

"_Please, father! I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart! I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"_

"_You will fight for your honor." It was an order. He knew, however, that Zuko would disobey..._

"_I meant you no disrespect," Zuko knelt before the dark silhouette. Though he couldn't see his face, he could picture the expression of contempt on his fathers features. But he could also imagine an expression of forgiveness..._

_Ozai inwardly sneered at his son's pleas, "Rise and _fight,_Prince Zuko!" Prince. A title that soon would not belong to him._

"_I won't fight you!"said his thirteen-year-old son, snivelling on the floor of the Agni-Kai arena._

_Disgusting, thought Ozai. Pitiful, disgraceful, shameful, dishonorable..._

"_You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher," His harsh judgement echoed around the arena for everyone to hear._

_He glanced around. Discreetly, of course. Most of the spectators simply looked on, bored. Some were ever-so-slightly concerned, wondering what would happen to the Crown Prince. Zhao,one of his best captains, grinned. He knew the Fire lord well enough. He was anticipating the maiming or killing that was about to take place, and he would not ge disappointed._

_Azula, his daughter, was even happier, about to laugh at her brother's shameful display._

_His weak brother looked tormented, knowing what would happen but not wanting to believe it. That fat, lazy fool. He would be banished, along with his so-called son._

_He relished the moment. He could have just revoked Zuko's birthright, but this way he could make an example of him. Also, it was more fun this way._

_Zuko looked up at his father. By now, he could see that his hope for forgiveness was empty and worthless. Tears filled his eyes._

_Ozai drew his fist back, and flame bit his son's face. The only sounds heard then were screams, from the feeble excuse for a fire bender in front of him, the _fwoosh_ of the fire, a cackle of laughter from Azula, and the feel of power making the blood throb in his ears, almost drowning out everything else..._

He smiled at the memory of his son 'showing mercy.' Laughable. Showing weakness was more like it. Zuko had always been too weak for everything. Too weak to ever lead the Fire Nation, too weak to learn past the basic forms of fire bending, too weak to ever be half as good as his sister at anything. Why keep him around? Speaking out of turn like that had given him a perfect opportunity.

Being sent out to sea, to hunt down a person that didn't exist, without honor or his birthright, would drive him over the edge. It was perfect. And, just in case that wasn't enough, his most trusted ally was dealing with him. He could see the scene unfolding...

_Zuko lay in bed, unable to sleep. It was late at night, and the room was dark._

_Suddenly, the door creaked open. A figure, mid-height and slim, stood in the rectangle of light._

"_Hello, brother, how is your eye?"_

"_Go away, Azula." His voice was tense and pained._

_The door slid shut, leaving the two of them in darkness. _

"_You know, what you did yesterday, refusing to fight, that was absolutely amazing to watch."_

"_Really?" His tone was a little hopeful now. Maybe someone was on his side..._

"_Yes," A blue flame, tiny and flickering, lit up the center of her palm, revealing her smirk, "It was so pitiful I almosr laughed. But I liked the burning much better."_

"_Leave me alone!" The thirteen-year-old struggled to sit up, to get away from her._

"_Alright. But first, just to give you fair warning, Dad's going to banish you."_

_He stopped fighting the blankets, "What?"_

_"Dad's going to banish you._ _For refusing to fight him. Yeah, he thinks it was absolutely despicable. So he's banishing you, unless..."_

"_Unless what?_

"_Not telling. You'll find out in the morning, so you shouldn't worry about it. Have a good sleep, brother."_

_The flame went out, and Azula sauntered away, the door barely opening to permit her exit. Her brother lay shivering for the rest of the night, imagining the impossible feats awaiting him..._

The Fire lord grinned. Eleven years old, a fire bending prodigy, merciless...and completely under his control. Azula was the perfect tool. So determined, so eager to please, and a deep hatred of her brother. So useful. She would make a great Fire lord in a couple of years, after the fall of Ba Sing Se. She had been the one who suggested sending him to capture the Avatar.

He remembered the meeting that had taken place directly after the Agni-Kai...

"_Zuko must be banished," proclaimed the Fire lord, "He has shown great dishonor in refusing to fight."_

"_The coward," remarked one of the generals under his breath._

"_I have a better idea than banisment."_

_Everyone turned to face the front of the room, where Azula stood._

_Ozai looked intrigued, "Go on."_

"_If you banish Zuko, he will turn against you. Think of the scandal it will cause. Your people may turn against you as well._

_"I recommend a condition that will allow him to return home."_

"_But we don't want him to return, Princess," one of the generals exclaimed._

"_Exactly. So we need something impossible for any person to accomplish, but believable enough to keep him chasing after it instead of turning against the Fire Nation. I recommend, capturing the Avatar."_

_Everyone was struck by the absolute genius of the plan. Ozai began to laugh. _

"_Brilliant, Azula. Now, the rest of you are dismissed. Prepare a small ship and crew for my son. I have things to discuss with my daughter."_

_The generals nodded and left the room, while the Fire lord spoke in hushed tones to Azula._

Azula was messing with Zuko's mind, just driving him closer to the insanity that Ozai secretly hoped for-a hope that he hadn't even shared with Azula. She just thought he would be searching for a nonexistent person for the rest of his life, which was a pleasant enough thought by itself.

And even if he _did_ find the Avatar-not possible, he told himself-he would be allowed to return home, all right-to a knife in his back, or a long fall from a rooftop, or poison in his dinner, or maybe he would just disappear, and a pile of ashes would mysteriously appear in the gardens...

He was almost sorry he would never get the chance to kill his son. He had so many great ideas...

****  
>The ship had departed six days ago. Ex-prince Zuko stood at the bow, with General Iroh standing just behind him, pleading with him give up and turn against Ozai.<p>

"Prince Zuko, this quest is impossible. You are not going to find the Avatar-not after he has been missing for almost a hundred years."

"If he's been missing that long, then he's long overdue. Father would never send me to find something that he didn't think I could find, and I wpu;d never turn against him. I am his loyal son," A pause, "Tell the helmsman to turn towards the Southern Air Temple. We will check all the Temples first, then the Water Tribes. If we don't find him, we'll scour the world until we do."

He turned to below-decks and meditate. He faced his uncle and said, "Father loves me. I won't let him down."

A/N So, did you like it? Any grammar mistakes or spelling errors, or are you like me, only noticing that stuff for the first few lines unless it's really bad?

So, please make sure that, after you finish reading, you click that little review button right about here. It makes me feel all glowy inside.


End file.
